Participate in the 12th annual Help Make Rochester A Litter Bit Better! event happening April 21-28, 2018! Litter collection is a fun way to help beautify our city and protect the environment. Pick a location, pick a date, and pick it up! Registration opens on March 7. Registration information, maps and more can be found at www.RNeighbors.org/litterbitbetter.

You’ll be a part of 30,000+ volunteers that have helped collect over 130 tons of litter in the past 11 years of A Litter Bit Better!

Save Our Streams (SOS) is a fun way to test water quality by collecting and identifying underwater critters, called macroinvertebrates. The Izaak Walton League is working with the Rochester Chapter to provide a workshop for those who wish to learn how to test their local water quality and become a certified SOS Monitor. IWLA will cover materials, coffee, and lunch for attendees. Visit http://www.IWLA.org/SOS for more info about Save Our Streams.

]]>March 22-World Water Dayhttp://cascademeadow.smumn.edu/uncategorized/march-22-world-water-day/
Mon, 05 Mar 2018 15:28:46 +0000http://cascademeadow.smumn.edu/?p=2405World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about focusing attention on the importance of water. The theme for World Water Day 2018 is ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. www.worldwaterday.org

Attend this exciting, family-friendly event to learn more about the eagles of Minnesota! The National Eagle Center, along with several live birds, will be coming to Rochester to teach us about this iconic raptor and its importance to the health of our watershed. Do not pass up the chance to meet these avian guests and learn a bit in the process.
This is a FREE family-friendly event.

March 15 at 6:30 PM

Cascade Meadow Speaker Series

Learn to Compost at home or with Front Door to Farm Compost Service

Over 97% of our organic food waste ends up in landfills and incinerators each year. Keep your organic material out of the landfill and put it to work in your garden or on the learning farm.

March 22 at 7:00 PM

Film Screening and discussion with Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick

Sustainable

A vital investigation of the economic and environmental instability of America’s food system, from the agricultural issues we face — soil loss, water depletion, climate change, pesticide use — to the community of leaders who are determined to fix it. Sustainable is a film about the land, the people who work it and what must be done to sustain it for future generations.

March 28 at 7:00PM

Storm water Speaker Series

Drinking Water in Rochester

Come see how Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is taking action to protect the quality and ensure the quantity of Rochester’s water for future generations. Presented by Todd Osweiler from RPU.

Additional information found on our events page at smumn.edu/cascademeadow/events

Even in winter our trails are a great place to connect with nature. I broke out my snow shoes for the first time EVER after the last big snow. It was a great work out and gave me an opportunity to enjoy the snow and warmer temperatures. I have also been considering leading a night hike on our trails during the month of February or March. If you would be interested, please email me at kconnor@smumn.edu

Did you know the City of Rochester has a cost-share grant program for residential and community rain gardens?

The 2018 Realize Rain Gardens Rochester Cost-Share Program will award up to 7 grants for 50% of verifiable costs, up to a maximum of $750 per project! Eligible expenditures for reimbursement through the Cost-Share Grant include the cost of rain garden design, plants, mulch soil amendment, related materials and labor. To be considered for a 2018 Cost-Share Grant, rain gardens must be installed in 2018 on parcels within Rochester’s city limits and outside of utility and drainage easements or road rights-of-way. Both residential customers and non-profit organizations, including schools, located within the city limits of Rochester are eligible. Applicants have until May 1, 2018 to submit their application for a cost-share grant to assist in the creation of a rain garden.

Zumbro Watershed Partnership: Conservation and Environmental Leaders

Join Bill Thompson, local environmental professional and Leopold enthusiast, as he explores the conservation and environmental leaders of our past, what they did and wrote, and how relevant their messages are today. Leopold, Sig Olson, Muir, Thoreau, Wendell Berry, and more!

February 22nd at 7:00 PM

Film Screening: Dirt! The Movie

DIRT! The Movie–narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis–brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that the soil has. It shares the stories of experts from all over the world who study and are able to harness the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil.

February 28th at 7:00 PM

RPW Stormwater Speaker Series: The Water’s Many Voices: River stories told through art and science.

Annie Hejny is an abstract painter who works with honorably harvested water and sediment collected from local water sources. Anna Baker is a hydrologist and geomorphologist who studies the ripple effects of human activity on the landscape, water quality, and ecosystem health of the Minnesota River Basin. Together, they will share how their work has brought them into relationship with the water by listening and learning the stories of the water.

Didn’t have time to dig old LEGOs out of the attic? No worries; the LEGO Drive has been EXTENDED!

Help local youth construct a topographic model of the Whitewater Watershed by donating your LEGO bricks through January 15th at any of 8 locations. Cascade Meadow is a drop off site. Our building ours are Tues-Friday 10 AM to 4 PM.